VHM Limited has shared plans for its Goschen mine near Swan Hill. (Source: VHM)
In short:
Two planned mineral sands mines in western Victoria have received environmental plan approval.
Farmers near Swan Hill and Horsham say the Victorian government is ignoring their concerns.
What’s next?
The government must approve the work plan before the mine can begin operations.
The Victorian government has approved environmental plans for two mineral sands mines in western Victoria, despite objections from farmers.
Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny today revealed she had approved the Environmental Impact Statements (EES) and operating guidelines for the Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project near Swan Hill and WIM Resources’ Avonbank mineral sands project near Horsham.
The Goshen Mine, proposed by VHM Limited, is located 35 kilometres south-west of Swan Hills and 275 kilometres north of Melbourne and covers 1,479 hectares of agricultural land.
WIM Resource Avonbank mine covers 3,426 hectares near Doon, about 10 kilometres northeast of Horsham, where the Chinese company plans to mine 12.75 million tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate containing critical minerals.
Both mines are planned to produce rare earth elements, minerals rich in zirconium and titanium – elements used in the production of batteries, medical devices and electric vehicles.
The mines still need work plans approved by the government before they can begin operations.
Farmers concerned about Goschen mine
Larbert farmer Craig Kennedy said he was concerned about the impact the mine would have on the community.
In April, he gave evidence to an independent panel assessing the mine, expressing his concerns about the impacts of noise, dust and radioactivity from the mineral concentrate on people, animals, groundwater and crops.
“We haven’t really thought about the impacts on human health and local communities,” Kennedy said.
Craige Kennedy said he was concerned about the impact the mine would have on the community. (ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Francesco Salvo)
“We care about our communities and regions and we care about regional Victoria as a whole.
“What we found (when we read the report) is that it actually ignored the evidence that we had provided, the evidence that experts had provided about the concentrations of rare earth minerals, and any scientific and engineering studies of groundwater movement.”
The ABC understands the Victorian government’s decision to approve the mine was sent to a landowner near the Goschen project via an online link 24 hours before the official announcement, but the document was subsequently deleted.
Wimmera farmers ‘blindsided’
Doone landowner Dean Johns said many farmers were “blindsided by the news.
“A lot of people are wondering if this is real,” Mr Johns said.
“I did get some calls today where people were crying to me.”
Farmers affected by the Avonbank project told the ABC last month they had received a call from WIM Resources saying the mine had been approved, but the Victorian government said the project was still “under review”.
Dean Johns said farmers were devastated. (ABC News: Peter Healy)
Mr Johns criticised the timing of the announcement, as recent rains have made harvests difficult for local farmers.
“Everyone is nervous because of the harvest and then add this to the mix, it’s not a good thing, not a good thing at all,” he said.
“The human aspect of (the assessment) is almost non-existent.
“There are real people involved, and there’s real nature involved, which is fair enough, but the real human element is not addressed at all.”
Mr Johns said the 600-page EES document did not include the landowner’s mental health. (ABC Wimmera: Gillian Aeria)
Fellow Doone County farmer Gavin Puls said he spends 20 hours a day harvesting his crops and is “very angry” about the decision and timing.
He said he had not yet had time to read the decision.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m just trying to get the crop in before the rain ruins it,” Mr Pooles said.
“I’m struggling to feed the country, let alone read government stuff.”
Mining companies celebrate
In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), VHM said it was pleased with the government’s approval of the ESS for the mine, which puts the company in a strong position.
Ron Douglas, CEO of the Victorian Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Projects Authority, said: “The ministerial approval of the Victorian Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Projects Authority is an important step towards the commencement of new rare earth and mineral sands projects in Victoria.
WIM Resources director John Bradley said in a statement that the Avonbank project would bring economic benefits to the Wimmera region and Victoria and provide 967 full-time jobs over the mine’s 30-year mining life.
“The mine will inject $15 billion in gross revenue into the Wimmera South Mallee region and generate $3.5 billion in gross product for the state,” Mr Bradley said.
Critical minerals roadmap
The announcement comes a day after Victorian Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced the Victorian government would change the way it assesses critical minerals mining projects.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the government would cut the time it takes to approve proposed mines from an average of three years to 18 months, and revealed it would designate certain areas as priority critical mineral development zones.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the government would put consultation at the heart of all future rare earth and mineral sands projects and develop a “community benefit-sharing framework” which would be launched next year.
Lily D’Ambrosio announces Victoria’s new critical minerals roadmap. (Image: Channel 9)
“We will engage with local communities early on because we know these are places where there is potential for critical minerals and we want to hear from the community early in the process,” she said.
“We want to understand what is agricultural value .. what is environmental value, what is social community value.”
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